Over Afternoon Tea
by Vergilia
Summary: It's Christmas at Grimmauld Place, and... Moody's working! Now there's a shocker, at least for Tonks. Little does she know that it's all a conspiracy. MoodyTonksOrder Friendship. No romance. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I wish these characters would stop trying to borrow me, as my Lord of the Rings masters suit me so much better…

A/N: This takes place in the Black family kitchen, a day or so after Arthur is attacked. This was inspired by Tonks' and Moody's awesome relationship.

Over Afternoon Tea

Tonks tripped over a wooden chair and went flying into a second seat, twisting, cat-like, to land in a comfortable position. Leaning back, she propped her feet up on the large kitchen table and critically studied the man sitting across from her.

"Working already, Mad-Eye?" she asked in surprise. "It's vacation!"

He looked up from the parchment in front of him with his good eye, keeping the magical one fixed downward.

"I'll have you know, Nympha-"

"It's Tonks, Mad-Eye. Tonks." She rolled her eyes upward and sighed.

Moody continued, studiously ignoring her interruption. "I'll have you know that my work is never done."

Tonks snorted. "Constant vigilance, eh?" she asked, lowering her voice to a more properly conspiratorial level.

The normal eye returned to the parchment, but the magical one was now fixed upon her, making her eyes water by its steady refusal to blink.

"You can't mock me without my knowledge, Nymphadora. I've known you for too long."

"You and me both," Sirius agreed, walking into the kitchen and immediately heading to the stove. "Tea, anyone?"

Tonks scowled at both men, which was difficult as Sirius was standing behind her. She narrowed her (currently blue) eyes. "I see now," she said, frowning and nodding. "This is all a conspiracy, isn't it?"

Moody nodded appreciatively, but with a slightly distracted air, both eyes back on the parchment. "Now you're getting the idea," he said appreciatively. "I'll have some, Sirius."

Tonks muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "paranoid blighter," earning a distracted "I heard that!" from Mad-Eye. She turned a full-toothed smile on Sirius.

"Come now, cousin," Tonks said, applying the proper amount (in her opinion) of younger relative charm. "You have to side with me in this case, at least."

"And what exactly is 'this case'?" Moody asked, tapping the parchment with his wand and causing it to disappear. Moments later, a new parchment appeared in front of him and he started scribbling away.

"Exactly my point!" Tonks said dramatically, pointing at the parchment as if it were a basilisk. "Dearest, favorite, most wonderful cousin of mine, you simply cannot allow Mad-Eye to work over Christmas vacation."

Sirius, leaning against a row of cabinets while waiting for the tea to boil, crossed his arms and legs and raised an eyebrow.

"Tonks, in our line of occupation, we always need to work." He sounded slightly wistful, but Tonks didn't dwell on it.

"Not while we're on vacation," Tonks insisted.

"If you'll try to keep your voice down and stop distracting me, Nymphadora, I'll be done that much sooner," Mad-Eye pointed out gruffly.

Tonks sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. "I make it a point to never listen to anyone who addresses me by my first name."

"Yes, and Andromeda just loves that fact about you, I'm sure," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

Tonks leant her head back and stuck her tongue out at him. "It's all Mother's fault anyway. She deserves it if I misbehaved occasionally."

"Or always," Mad-Eye added drily.

Tonks threw her hands up into the air. "I give up. I clearly cannot win when half the blooming house is taking up arms against me."

"No, you can't," a new voice remarked softly. Remus had just stepped into the kitchen and was seating himself at the end of the table, the Daily Prophet employment section in front of him. "Making tea, Sirius?" he asked calmly. "I'd like some, if it's possible."

Sirius nodded and turned to get more tea bags. Tonks scowled at the newcomer.

"And I suppose you're in on it too?"

"In on what?" Remus opened the newspaper and hid his face inside.

Tonks blew out a gusty sigh. "The conspiracy against me! I know all of you are in on it-"

"Just ignore Nymphadora," Moody said gruffly, "she's clearly spent too much time around me."

"All I was saying," Tonks started testily, "before I was so rudely interrupted, was that Mad-Eye shouldn't be allowed to work over Christmas vacation."

"And why not?" Remus asked, surprised.

"It's vacation!" Tonks tried to explain. "You know, a vacation…? A break from work…? When you're supposed to be having fun…?"

"Nymphadora, I consider my work fun. Now, will you leave me alone?" Moody responded, making another parchment appear.

"Mad-Eye, work is never fun-"

"It depends on your line of work, really," Bill Weasley said, Apparating with a crack in the chair next to Moody. "I find my work exciting, if not always fun."

Tonks sighed in frustration. "What, am I going to have to argue with the whole male population of the Order before I'm done? Where are Emmeline and Hestia when you need them?"

"On a mission," Remus and Mad-Eye answered together.

"I knew _that_," Tonks said testily. "The question was rhetorical." The only reply was the rustling of paper as Remus turned the page and the whistle of the tea kettle as the water began to boil.

"Making tea?" Bill asked with interest. "I'd like some, if you don't mind. I'll need to visit Dad in a bit, but I have some time."

"Would you like some tea, Tonks?" Sirius asked, before going to retrieve more tea bags.

"No, thank you," Tonks brushed him off with a wave of her hand. "What I'd like is for Mad-Eye to stop working."

Mad-Eye sighed. "Yes, Nymphadora. We've established that fact. Can we move on?"

"No!" Tonks exclaimed with a great show of aggravation. "You're still working!"

"TONKS!" a voice called loudly from outside the kitchen door. Kingsley Shacklebolt strode in, eyebrows knit. "Where in the world are you?"

Tonks jumped, throwing her tilted chair off balance. She crashed to the floor, blushed, and quickly wiped off her robes as Moody sighed and clunked over to help her up.

"You could break your back that way, you know," Moody commented, moving back to the other side of the table once more.

"Who do you know who has broken their back by falling off a chair?" Tonks demanded. She immediately gave herself a little hunchback and wobbled towards Moody. "Ohhhh, ohhhh, my poor, aching back-"

"TONKS!" Kingsley bellowed from right behind the girl's ear.

The floor and Tonks were once more intimately acquainted. "Stop _doing_ that!" she panted at the Auror, shakily getting to her feet.

"What are you still doing here? You were supposed to be at work this morning! Williamson's been looking for you, and he's about to organize a search party!"

"Well… I… erm…" Tonks looked slightly flustered as everyone in the room turned to look at her. "I thought it was vacation."

"Vacation starts tomorrow! Now get to work before Williamson has a cow!" Kingsley marched the sheepishly smiling Auror from the room. He paused just before leaving the room. The tea kettle was still whistling. "Tea, Sirius? Could I have some as well, please? Maybe it'll make up for theGiant-sized headache Tonks here has given me."

"Make sure to get him that tea quickly, Sirius," Moody muttered, not looking up from his newest parchment. "After all, an Auror's work is never done."

Tonks stuck out her tongue.

"I saw that."

Fin.


End file.
